Olea europaea

Small to medium-size tree like a willow, 5-10 m tall and wide, often gnarled, strong growth, many twigs and light crown, twisted habit, long life, forming intense root network.

Inconspicuous, tiny, yellowish white, fragrant panicles on leaf axils, up to 5 cm long, spring

Like plums to roundish, fleshy stone fruits (olives), up to 3 cm, one seed, fruit colour depends on variety, initially green, turning brownish to black-grey, oily, ripe from October to November.

Evergreen, slender-elliptical, elongated to lanceolate, coarse-leathery, asymmetrically serrated, dark green on top, silvery hairs, dense underneath, up to 8 cm long.

Light grey, smooth when young, later with grooves.

Full sun, protected, somewhat frost hardy, cold house, cut hard under glass in spring.

Fresh to moist, deep, moderately nutritious, with chalk, very well drained, loamy-sandy, likes chalk, adaptive.

Zone 9